Hacking Why can't previous DSlite flashcarts work in the DSi

[houseonfire]

I see people saying that the old flashcarts cant work in the DSi, and some companies have already released new flashcarts for the DSi.
I have even tested my Supercard slot one device in my DSi, and it will not work, as expected.

But why can't they work? Is it software? hardware?
Can I just plug my slot one device into a serial port on my computer and reprogram it to work? Or can some form of hacked firmware for the old flashcarts be made to make it work?

 

[klopfdreh]

It is a combination of both I think and nintendo somehow checks the chip id or some parts of the software that is going to be started and than blocking it. That would explain the different behaviour the flashcard block is going to be displayed on the dsi.

- Some are not displayed when plugging it in.
- Some can be started up and then a message is shown.

I think the newer cards aren't blocked because the id and the software isn't listed in the dsi firmware, at the moment.

 

[houseonfire]

So if the firmware was made to let in any form of ID, then the old cards will work?

 

[Kingfield]

I think thats a poor explanation....

I THINK.

Can someone check what is the exact message which is printed when the flashcart boots up?

 

[houseonfire]

"An error has occurred. Press and hold the Power Button to turn the System off. Please see the Nintendo DSi Operations Manual for help troubleshooting."

 

[how_do_i_do_that]

The US version ignores the flashcarts and says you got nothing inserted.
The JP version tells you on the top screen.

 

[houseonfire]

The US version that I have gives me the above message on my bottom screen.

 

[klopfdreh]

I think thats a poor explanation....

I THINK.

Can someone check what is the exact message which is printed when the flashcart boots up?

What was wrong with the explanation? What exactly the message is like doesn't care anyone. And the question after your post - older flash cards wouldn't work because the id / software of those are already integrated to be blocked in the firmware.

Thats it.

QUOTESo if the firmware was made to let in any form of ID, then the old cards will work?

Not any form of ID. Older flashcards are still blocked.

Ah and by the way, the error you get depends on the flashcard and the software / hardware is used in it. So you can't say US shows this and JP shows that. It depends on the card.

 

[DeltaBurnt]

So if the firmware was made to let in any form of ID, then the old cards will work?

No the old flashcarts being blocked don't really have much to do with the actually firmware, I think it's more the hardware that blocks them.

 

[houseonfire]

Well something in the software has to tell the hardware to block it right?

 

[DeltaBurnt]

Yah part of the software has to do with it, but I would think most of it would be physical.

IDK, I may be wrong on this and it would be all software, and then if we got custom firmware then we could use old flashcarts. But I'm pretty sure it has to do with the physical part of the DSi.

 

[houseonfire]

Hmm. fair enough. We will see what happens.
I'm just not sure about spending money on an Ace card if I can get my old cart working on the DSi. But because I'm impatient, ill probably just buy the ace card.

 

[BlueStar]

I think the newer cards aren't blocked because the id and the software isn't listed in the dsi firmware, at the moment.

The cards made specifically for the DSi aren't blocked because they report the ID and serial of an actual DS game - I seem to remember for the first DSi carts to hit the market it was some aquarium game.

 

[houseonfire]

How can the old cards be made to report the ID of an actual game also?

 

[DeltaBurnt]

How can the old cards be made to report the ID of an actual game also?

Dude updating your firmware of your old flashcart or anything similar that's not actually physical will not work. You will have to buy a new flashcart.

 

[houseonfire]

I'm sorry but I don't believe that.
If i manufactured a flash card for the DS, I would release an entire new one and say the old one can't be updated to work with the DSi.
The DSi is blocking it because of something in its firmware, or the old flash cards just don't work with it because of some problem I don't know about.
Software has to tell hardware what to do. Whether its in Assembly, or just part of the flash cards OS/firmware. It's not being told to work, so it's not going to yet.
The hardware on the insides are the same as far as i can tell.

 

[Fungustoken]

The hardware on the DS lite and DSi same on the inside? You meen except the new speakers, the new screens, the new memory and cpu, the wireing for the cameras, the added diod, the added SD-card reader and the removed gba-slot....

I'd say the hardware is pretty different....

 

[houseonfire]

I meant the flashcards.
I'm not an idiot, don't treat me like one.

 

[Lumstar]

No one really knows the specifics at this point.

I've asked for technical details before, they just aren't available yet.

 

[Kingfield]

No one really knows the specifics at this point.

I've asked for technical details before, they just aren't available yet.

The teams who've made DSi cards would know why. I just want them to reveal the specifics of why these flashcarts work, if its something that can be blocked by a firmware update or not...

I think the other teams are waiting to see when these flashcarts get blocked, before they release new ones, which will probably unblockable.

Thats just my two cents, but yeah.